Playfully creative

Here is my playful creation. The bear was made some time ago, but his new found activity is knitting, and here he is, knitting a scarf.

Too much socializing

My hermit-like nature has recently entered a somewhat unfamiliar atmosphere, and that has given me a taste of excitement, and inspiration to explore beyond my quiet cul-de-sac.

I have put myself on an expressway that has exits to other expressways. I have signed up for a CED group, a book group, and I am already involved in two or three crochet groups. (Surprisingly none of them are strictly knitting groups, unless I consider our local, physical knitting group as one. But that does not have a lane on my expressway. That group has its own side street, in a quiet area of a busy metropolis.)

However, I have experienced speed pumps on my road. Some of them have made me to come to a halt completely. Those are the evil doubts in my abilities, my interest in socializing, and unsteady inspiration sprees. I blame my driving skills on these roads. I would like to drive on the slow lane, and watch everyone whizz by, while I am looking for an exit that would take me back to my own street.

It's Monday, and after staying up most of the night, my brain is cramping. I need to go to my cocoon and take a "nap".

Creativity?

As I was reading CED 2009 blog, there was an interview with Goddess Leonie
She was talking about her own creativity, and what it is for her. I only read a few lines, when I had to stop and think of my own ideas of what creativity is for me. I have to go back to read what else Goddess Lionie is saying, other than her smudges of paint, etc.

Mine:

Tiny pieces of yarn on the floor, on the dining table, in the hallway (don't ask)
some knitting needles and/or crochet hooks under and beside a stack of knitting or crochet magazines, topped with loose pattern leaves
yarn skeins and WIPs in tote bags
almost finished crocheted toy on the table

newly purchased plastic pencil case which is full of color pencils
sketch book by the pencil case

I also think that being creative is going thru everyday life. There are enough turns and obstacles on the way from the morning to the night when you dive in under your blankets and close your eyes trying to catch your sleep. When you close your eyes, do you see images? I do. Sometimes they are blurry, sometimes I see faces going by as on a film strip. That means I must draw something the next day.

I believe that making another person feel good about themselves, treating your co-workers/staff with fairness, requires sometimes some creative skills.

Thus:

In my opinion, creativity isn't only something that is visible, it can be emotional, or physical, too.

Just imagine yourself sitting by your computer, "talking" with your internet friends, and your body starts getting stiff. You do not want to leave the computer, but you have to make some moves to relax your muscles. What do you do? You create a mini exercise program that is done sitting down, while typing. If you are trying it now, it's not that easy, is it? Unless you are a professional exercise guru or choreographer, which I am not.

While thinking of this, I am glancing at my treadmill, in the corner, by the window, covered with my knitting stuff, yarns, magazines, pattern sheets, some tote bags. I could clear the treadmill walkway and start exercising, and getting my few minute walk per day going.

As I will be walking and reading my book, I might listen to my Spanish lessons and creating tonight's dinner in my mind. That is another thing, creating meals. Well, another topic for another time.

But for today:

I will try to be creative, and get on my treadmill and read a book, I will let myself go crazy with all the ideas that are currently brewing in my head. And to think that I was going to go to the movies today, when I have so many fun things to do here at home.

Here is my poor treadmill before clearing the mess:










and some of my "work area" on the dining tableI will post the "after" pictures when I have created something out of this mess.

These are after pictures:

Even little things count in CED

Today, this morning actually, I felt totally lazy, and did not want to do anything.

Somehow I forced myself to do some knitting, but that was not going well. My needles
gave me a hard time. I could not find a needle that felt good with the project I was working on.

What did I do? I dumped all my straight needles on my bed, and organized them in groups, and then sorted them in sets of sizes,

smallest to 3.75 mm in one set,
4 mm to 6.5 mm in one set,
and 7 mm to 20 yet another set.
I also have quite a few Tunisian crochet
hooks, starting from size 14 (US size) to 5 mm

Let's not to forget the needles that are shorter than 13", they are now in
one container, regardless of the size. However these are not dbl pointed
needles, they are another story, another organization event another day.

I am so glad I did this, and felt as if a great creation was done.

I have been knitting most of my life, starting in my pre-teens and even inherited my
mom's stash, thus my needle stash was fairly sizable.

Inspiration has speed limits

I had to stop and think what I did yesterday. "Practically nothing" was the answer. Yesterday has gone unnoticed.

Thus this quick sketch this afternoon

well, well, blogger is not liking my picture, and will not post it....or anything else, BTW, so I posted it in the CED group album @ flickr.

Finally!!! at 7:20 pm.

Forgot to comb my hair

She has a wavy, curly hair
The curls are done with
much effort to make them
flow around her small face.
The massive hair
takes the attention from
her beady eyes, fake smile and
blotches on her cheeks.
Her gaggling laugh suits
her unfriendly and cold eyes.
It is difficult to capture her
expression in a drawing as it
slithers away like a snake.